New silk materials can wrinkle into detailed patterns, then unwrinkle to be `reprinted`
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

Researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering have developed silk materials that can wrinkle into highly detailed patterns-including words, textures and images as intricate as a QR code or a fingerprint. The patterns take about one second to form, are stable, but can be erased by flooding the surface of the silk with vapor, allowing the researchers to `reverse` the printing and start again. In an article published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers demonstrate examples of the silk wrinkle patterns, and envision a wide range of potential applications for optical electronic devices.